Level



United States Patent 3,296,708 LEVEL Willard Bruce Moody, 1711 Hillcrest Drive, Durham, N .C. 27705 Filed Jan. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 340,252 3 Claims. (Cl. 33207) This invention relates to a level and more particularly to a plasterers level to be utilized in conjunction with work on a corner bead means.

It is conventional in plastering a corner to utilize a corner bead means having a substantially V-shaped flange portion securable to a vertically extending stud and carrying a vertically extending corner bead member normally arcuate in cross-section to facilitate in defining the corner. It is necessary to insure that the corner bead means extends in a substantially vertical direction in order to insure a plumb relationship in the finished wall. For this purpose, the plasterer utilizes a level which is held against the corner bead member before securing the flanged portions to the stud.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a level which is self-supporting so that the plasterer may have his hands free to secure the corner bead means to the stud or to perform other necessary operations.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a level having hook means including at least one hook member extended beyond the side surface of the level for engagement in portions of the object to be leveled, particularly the flanged portions of a corner bead means.

Still another object of the instant invention is the provision of a level having its side surfaces defined by an upstanding peripheral flange, with the hook means being pivotally carried within the peripheral flange and being flexible whereby it may be moved from an inoperative position wherein it is retained out of the way within the peripheral flange, and an operative position wherein the hook member extends beyond one of the side surfaces for engagement in the object being leveled.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described having hook means pivotally secured to both face surfaces of the level body member adjacent both end surfaces of the same whereby any or all of the hook members may be extended beyond the side surfaces of the level.

A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of such a level wherein each pivotally secured hook means includes oppositely extending hook members selectively extended beyond the opposite side surfaces of the level body member.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a level for use with a corner bead means of the type described wherein at least one Of the side surfaces of the level includes portions defining a vertically extending groove substantially corresponding in configuration to the bead member to facilitate in accurate leveling of the same.

An additional object of the instant invention is the provision of such a level having its opposite side surfaces including portions defining vertically extending grooves of different shapes whereby the level may accommodate bead members of different configurations. Other and further objects reside in the combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and features of construction.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a level in accordance with the instant inventive concept showing its hook means engaged in nail apertures of the V-shaped flange portion of a corner means, one of the hook means being shown in its inoperative position in dotted lines;

Patented Jan. 10, 1967 FIGURE 2 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view through the level showing one of the hook means flexed outwardly into its operative position;

FIGURE 3'is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to FIGURE 1 of'a level in accordance with the instant inventive concept having its hook means engaged in the flange portions of a corner bead meansformed of either an expanded metal' -or'a wire mesh material;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged'fr'agmentary cross-sectional view showing the vertically extending groove in one side surface of the level engaging a corner bead member of substantially the same configuration; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentarycross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 4'sliowing' the vertically extending groove in the opposite side surface of the level engaging a bead memberof a corner bead means having a different configuration.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawingin general, a-level in accordance with the instant inventive concept is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and is shown in FIGURE 1 as utilized in conjunction with a corner bead means 12 including a substantially V-shaped flange portion 14 having a plurality of nail apertures 16 defined therein for securing the corner bead means 12 to a stud 18 or the like, and a vertically extending bead member 20.

The level 10 is comprised basically of an elongated body member 22 having opposite face surfaces 24, 26, opposite side surfaces 28, 30, and opposite end surfaces 32, 34. A vertical level means 36 conventional in form is carried by the body member 22 adjacent the end surfaces 32, 34, and a conventional horizontal level means 38 is carriedby the body member 22 substantially centrally. It will'be readily understood that any combination of vertical and/or horizontal level means may be carried by a level in accordance with the instant inventive concept.

At least one hook means 40 is carried by the body member 22 including at least one hook member 42 extended beyond one of the side surfaces whereby the hook member may be engaged in portions of the element being leveled to render the device self-supporting during use.

Preferably, the side edges 28, are defined by peripheral flanges 44, 46 extending in upstanding relationship around the face surfaces 24, 26, respectively. The hook means are then formed of a slightly flexible material, such as spring steel or the like pivotally secured by bolt means 48 or the like to upstanding bosses 50 on each face surface 24, 26 adjacent each end surface 32, 34 with the height of the bosses 50 being slightly less than the height of the peripheral flanges 44, 46. Each hook means 40 is provided with oppositely extending hook members 42 whereby a selected hook member or members may be moved from an inoperative position such as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1 and in full lines at the top of FIGURE 2 wherein it is retained out of the way within the peripheral flanges 44, 46, to an operative position such as shown in full lines in FIGURES 1 and 3 and the bottom of FIGURE 2 wherein a selected hook member 42 extends beyond one of the side surfaces 28, 30 for engagement in a portion of the element being leveled.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the hook members 42 may be engaged in the nail apertures 16 to render the level 10 self-supporting. In the embodiment of FIGURE 3 the flange portions 14' of the corner bead means 12' are formed of either an expanded metal defining a plurality of openings therein for reception of the hook members 42 or a wire mesh material defining a plurality of interstices therein for reception of the hook members 42. The flange portions 14' carry the bead member 20' in a manner similar to the embodiment of FIGURE 1.

In accordance with another feature of the instant inventive concept, the side surfaces 28, 30 of the level preferably include portions defining vertically extending grooves 52, 54 substantially corresponding in configuration to the shape of conventional bead members such as or 20'. For example, as shown in FIGURE 4, the groove 54 receives a corner bead 20 of one arcuate curvature, while the groove 52 in FIGURE 5 receives a bead member 20' of a different arcuate curvature. This ability of the level to receive the corner bead in a groove in its side surface increases both the accuracy and efficiency of the leveling operation in an obvious manner.

The use and operation of the device of the instant invention will now be apparent. Selected hook means 40 are pivoted to their operative position with the hook members 42 extending beyond the sidesurfaces 28, of the level 10 and engaged either in nail apertures or other openings or interstices of the element being leveled, particularly the flange portion of a corner bead means with the corner bead member being received in one of the vertically extending grooves 52, 54 which can be of any configuration to correspond substantially to the shape of the bead member. After the leveling operation has been completed and the corner bead means secured in position, the hook members 42 may be readily disengaged and the hook means may be pivoted to their inoperative position 'within the peripheral flanges 44, 46 where they are out of the way and less likely to be damaged or to accidentally catch on surrounding elements.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved level which satisfies all of the objectives of the instant invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A level comprising an elongated substantially rectangular body member having opposite fiat face surfaces, a peripheral flange extending about the sides and ends of said body member on each side thereof defining opposed flat side and end surfaces, a plurality of openings cut through said body member, a level in each opening visible from each fiat face, an upwardly extending boss at each end of said body member on each side thereof, each boss being of less height than the portion of said flange on the adjacent side, a plurality of book members, each comprising a shank of flexible resilient material, and oppositely extending flexible resilient hook members at one end of said shank, the other end of each shank being pivotally secured to a boss, whereby when said hooks are folded inwardly they lie in flush relation beneath the level of said flange and when in operative position extend outwardly thereover, the flexibility of said hook members permitting twisting out of the plane of said face surfaces to engage openings in an adjacent surface lying in a plane parallel to said flat surfaces.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein portions of at least one of said side surfaces define a vertically extending arcuate groove substantially corresponding in configuration to a corner bead member.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein portions of each of said opposite side surfaces define vertically extending grooves of different arcuate dimensions to accommodate bead members of different sizes and configurations.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 402,360 4/1889 Smith 3385 441,492 11/1890 Kelley 3385 2,645,018 7/1953 \Vaddel 3385 3,180,036 4/1965 Meeks 33--207 LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

L. ANDERSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LEVEL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR BODY MEMBER HAVING OPPOSITE FLAT FACE SURFACES, A PERIPHERAL FLANGE EXTENDING ABOUT THE SIDES AND ENDS OF SAID BODY MEMBER ON EACH SIDE THEREOF DEFINING OPPOSED FLAT SIDE AND END SURFACES, A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS CUT THROUGH SAID BODY MEMBER, A LEVEL IN EACH OPENING VISIBLE FROM EACH FLAT FACE, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING BOSS AT EACH END OF SAID BODY MEMBER ON EACH SIDE THEREOF, EACH BOSS BEING OF LESS HEIGHT THAN THE PORTION OF SAID FLANGE ON THE ADJACENT SIDE, A PLURALITY OF HOOK MEMBERS, EACH COMPRISING A SHANK OF FLEXIBLE RESILIENT MATERIAL, AND OPPOSITELY EXTENDING FLEXIBLE RESILIENT HOOK MEMBERS AT ONE END OF SAID SHANK, THE OTHER END OF EACH SHANK BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED TO A BOSS, WHEREBY WHEN SAID HOOKS ARE FOLDED INWARDLY THEY LIE IN FLUSH RELATION BENEATH THE LEVEL OF SAID FLANGE AND WHEN IN OPERATIVE POSITION EXTEND OUTWARDLY THEREOVER, THE FLEXIBILITY OF SAID HOOK MEMBERS PERMITTING TWISTING OUT OF THE PLANE OF SAID FACE SURFACES TO ENGAGE OPENINGS IN AN ADJACENT SURFACE LYING IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO SAID FLAT SURFACES. 